1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to automated parking, and more particularly to positioning apparatus during periods of inactivity.
2. Background
Equipment may be used for periods of time, between which the equipment may be stored or otherwise stationary. Various problems may occur with stationary apparatus. A person walking, boating, or swimming by an apparatus may interact with the apparatus in an unsafe manner. The weather may change in a way that requires a response by the apparatus. Surfaces may be damaged by damage processes. Marine systems may be susceptible to damage processes associated with seawater, including growth of cellular organisms (barnacles, algae, coral, and other marine growth), and the like. In some cases, damage may be caused by the process per se. In some cases, a product of the damage process (e.g., particles of metal, oxide, a hydroxide, salt, and the like) may cause damage (e.g., if the product of the process abrades or contaminates parts of the system).
Some degradation processes may be localized to a contact area between different components. When damaged, this contact area may perform poorly. For example, a hydraulic cylinder may include a piston, a barrel, and an annular seal that seals the piston within the barrel. The seal may include a ring-shaped contact area between a sealing ring and the piston (or the barrel). Damage processes may degrade this contact area, which may degrade the seal, reducing performance.
A variety of apparatus use hydraulic cylinders that are exposed to degrading environments. Marine systems may use hydraulic cylinders in a variety of implementations, including immersion in seawater for long times. Corrosion and/or surface growth of organisms may be problematic in marine environments, particularly at contact areas between parts, such as those between components that slide past each other (e.g., a seal around a piston in a hydraulic cylinder). The reduction of such damage may improve the performance and/or lifetime of a product being used in a corrosive environment. This improvement may reduce the lifetime costs associated with a system, particularly a large system (e.g., a ship propulsion system) that may be remotely deployed and/or time consuming to repair.
U.S. Pat No. 5,892,338 describes a radio frequency remote control for trolling motors. U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,392 describes a stern drive system with anti-rotation device. U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,635 describes a marine jet drive.